5 of 7 views are still being sourced from RPM Pickleball. We only publish photography of this exact model, so empty slots stay empty until the real shot exists.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Prices and availability are checked periodically and can change.
RPM Pickleball
The James Ignatowich signature build is an unapologetic attack paddle: 16.5 in of reach, a grippy CarbonBite face and a tri-density core that launches drives without giving up the sweet spot the first V2 lacked.
Cross-shopping? Most buyers weigh the Friction Pro Elongated V2 against the 11SIX24 Ultré Power 2 — see them side by side, or browse every RPM Pickleball paddle.
AI verdict — generated from measured specs
Last updated: July 2026
The RPM Pickleball Friction Pro Elongated V2 scores 86.3/100 on our IQ index, built from all 15 Paddle DNA traits. Its signature is spin (94/100, 93th percentile of the database), backed by power at 92 and pop at 88. The 16 mm Tri-Density core with EVA foam ring core and CarbonBite raw carbon with Axial Carbon Layup face at 8 oz put it in the pace-first — you win points by ending them bracket.
Where it gives ground is forgiveness (84) and maneuverability (72). With a 117 kg·cm² swing weight and a 5.5 in handle it suits intermediate/advanced/pro players, two-handed backhands, balanced doubles play. Skip it if this is your first paddle and you have not settled on a shape.
Closest paddles by DNA: 11SIX24 Ultré Power 2 ($220), JOOLA Hyperion Pro V 16 ($300), 11SIX24 Pegasus Gen 3 ($190). If budget matters, the Six Zero Quartz Control lands within 2 IQ points for $60 less. Overall: a strong buy for the right player, though not the outright best paddle in the database.
In depth
The RPM Friction Pro Elongated V2 is a 16.5 in x 7.5 in attack paddle co-designed with James Ignatowich. Its CarbonBite face and Tri-Density core produce a spin figure of 94 and a power figure of 92 — numbers only a handful of paddles in the database reach together.
The sections below are analysis of measured specifications and Paddle DNA™ values, not a play-test write-up. Where we have hit with a paddle, those notes appear separately and are attributed.
A 16.5 in elongated shape with a 117 swing weight puts mass far from your hand. That is where the 88 plow-through comes from: the head keeps moving through contact so drives carry depth without a bigger swing. The cost is maneuverability 72. In a hands battle you will be a half-beat behind a 15.5 in standard shape, and no amount of technique closes that gap fully.
RPM sells both thicknesses. The 14 mm plays quicker with more immediate pop and a lower swing weight; the 16 mm adds dwell time, stability and reset control. Our figures describe the 16 mm build. If you already miss resets long, the 16 mm is the safer purchase.
CarbonBite is a surface texture rather than a sprayed coating, which is why the grit survives longer than painted faces. Paired with an elongated shape — more head speed at the tip for the same swing — it produces the topspin drive shape that elongated players build their game around.
Community consensus
Verbatim excerpts from public discussion and independent reviews, plus the themes they add up to. These are other people's opinions, not ours, and every quote links back to where it was written.
No sourced community excerpts are published for this paddle yet. We only quote text we can link back to.
AI paddle match
Each pick is the database's best answer to one specific question, ranked by how far it moves the needle versus the Friction Pro Elongated V2.
The matchups people actually cross-shop, each with a full 15-trait breakdown.
Every trait normalised 0-100 against the full database, so these numbers mean the same thing on any paddle page. How we measure →
Key attributes
Our similarity engine ranks the whole database by average DNA deviation. Tighten or widen the band to see how far you have to travel to save money or gain a trait.
Paddle DNA™ match
RPM Pickleball Friction Pro Elongated V2
IQ 86.3 · $250
Ranked by DNA deviation
Saves $30 versus the Friction Pro Elongated V2 · +5 forgiveness · Higher IQ score (87.3 vs 86.3)
+4 plow through · -4 spin
Saves $60 versus the Friction Pro Elongated V2 · +9 softness · -4 twist weight
Saves $30 versus the Friction Pro Elongated V2 · +5 touch · -5 pop · Higher IQ score (87.5 vs 86.3)
Saves $120 versus the Friction Pro Elongated V2 · +8 softness · -5 spin
+14 softness · -4 spin · Higher IQ score (87 vs 86.3)
+14 softness · -7 pop
Saves $70 versus the Friction Pro Elongated V2 · +11 softness · -7 twist weight
Each pick beats the Friction Pro Elongated V2 on one specific thing — price, power, control or forgiveness.
11SIX24 Ultré Power 216 mm · hybrid · 8.3 oz · SW 120$22087
JOOLA Hyperion Pro V 1616 mm · elongated · 8.4 oz · SW 124$30086
11SIX24 Pegasus Gen 316 mm · hybrid · 8.3 oz · SW 117$19085CRBN CRBN-1X16 mm · elongated · 8.3 oz · SW 119$22088Want a different matchup? Compare any two paddles or browse the full paddle database.
Reviewed by
Alex built the Paddle DNA™ database behind PickleballLookup — 15 normalized traits measured against every paddle in the catalog. Every page on this site is generated from that data and editorially reviewed before publication.
Last updated July 2026 · How we score paddles